Dr. Samantha Backhaus on the impact of brain injury on the family

A person with brain injury may have emotional challenges. Dr. Samantha Backhaus talks about the impact that can have on other family members.

This content is made possible by a partnership between the Indiana University School of Medicine and WETA/BrainLine.

The contents of this video were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, the Indiana Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems 90DP0036 and 90DRTB0002. NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this video do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

[mrstammy]

This is where I am with my husband! I dont want to be around him, its abusive. Its sad because I know he has a TBI, but I am not super human. He is non compliant most of the time, and seems to look for ways to cause chaos. I often grieve that I have lost him.

[jonkas]

I feel bad that I EXHAUSTED my parents for nearly two decades. But it wasn't my fault. Just bad luck. My trauma was shared by my parents. Because they loved me.
I wish I could've done better.

[John-gjdb]

Thank you for sharing this. My kids went through hell with me in the first few months. I didn’t know I was saying so many hurtful things and was so short tempered. 9 years later I’m the opposite of how I was then. There is always hope. 🤗

[TheAverageJoe]

I am heartbroken because my mother is going through this and she feels isolated but its partially due to her overreactions to family and emotional damage that she cant help probably due to a brain stem injury. I hate it but all I can do is continue to support and love her. You may see her driving or doing a normal thing but her ability to communicate effectively has been severely hindered.

[Sbh]

I wish there was more help for families. I had to leave my partner of almost 20 yrs. He was and is emotionally abuse to myself and our daughter who was 3 when he had his strokes. I stayed for two years and then it was clear he couldn’t even see what he was doing, and wasn’t going to change. We are much healthier now (my daughter, now 10 and I) but his relationship with her is severely damaged, and I feel helpless to make anything better, he can’t/refuses to see how it hurts her, I don’t know which to be honest. It’s sad.

And here I am 6 yrs later every time an issue comes up trying to find some way to help by watching YouTube videos because it’s the only thing I can do at this point, that’s also sad.

[DMac-uvbl]

I would love to have such an understanding doctor as this one! As a disabled veteran I could use her and their help

[shaungaddy]

30 years post TBI. This is me. This is me

[lav]

In my case it's different my relatives not helpful nor supportive. I'm doing everything by myself 🙏🏻

[WanderingLeopard]

I wonder how my TBI friends have been coping during this pandemic?
I've noticed there hasn't been any new videos from Brainline in about 8 months. Which of course makes sense.

[elijahkim]

So sad that I have to go through this. At least I’m not alone.

[RoadRunnergarage]

This is why I avoid relationships.. I do not believe any woman could hsndle my TBI "quirks"-( Repeating Mydelf, Poor Temper, Word Finding, etc)..